New-York tribune., 1887-05-15
MISS MURPHY AT HOME.
SCENES Ar CENTRAL PARK MENAGERIE.

i
PRAIRIE DOGS AND BABY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF
BoHU AND MISS MURPHY-Ma. cRowLEYs PRO-
GREss
| One morning last week Keeper Donahue, of ths
menagerie In Central Park rushed into Director Conk
Inns Office and cried out in great excitement Mr..
Conklin, Mr.. Conklin as quick as you can the
village is awake" The Director seized his hat and
started out hastily with DoDahue to the crest OF the
hill pack of the Arsenal the site of the prairie dog
village This little settlement is surrounded with wire
and is made mp OF twenty couples of prairie dogs.
Early last December aiter the colony had drawn in
and packed away nearly ton of hay in the little
under ground homes tine dogs retired evening tor
their winter sleep After that nothing was
of them until DOnahue. who was on the watch sped
an old burgher thrusting out his nose on bright
spring morning to reconnotre, Director Conklin was
greatly relieved TO them again. Something over
wear 20 after the first effort TO stublish colony in
the Park, freshet swept down on the village, the
holes were illed with which then froze up, bury
ing the entire colony while 1t slept
The villagers looked lean and tamished as they came
ont of their cellar homes after the long fast Corn
was given EN- and they ate rageuousy that Don-
ahue said he could the grains rattle against their
ribs As soon they had fnhsd their meal the entire
community went work at restoring their homes
alter the ravages of the winter AL the burrows were
cleaned and the entrances were pat in shape NOW
the villagers getting plump and tat again ana IN
few days Mr. Conklin expects score or more OF itte
puppies
One of the ne features of the menagere this spring
Is the building mammals north OF the Arsenal for
merv nsed as a restaurant. Around the interior are
arranged nineteen cages with large dome shaped
cage in the centre of the room In this centre cage
pair OF rock kangar0os, small species OF tue Aus
traian kangaroo, whose home Is among the rocks
On one side OF the room may be seen six ant bears
from South America, and the other are three grace
ful spotted ocelots or South American tiger cats
\ Michigan badger occupies a cage with three young
badgers now only tew weeks old aud no larger than
| rhaytv horn in fra an
TO be getting accustomed their home aud to watch
ing the crowds around them. In a few weeks MIR.
Conklin expects to have pair OF baby kangaroos on
exhibition among the other juvenile members of his
| Company These babies were born about two months
ago and were placed by the mother, after the
fashion of marsupias, in the large heshy purses that
GOV breasts. The little creatures were as limp as
two Jumps OF soft putty and with scarce strength
enough TO cry aloud In placing them IN her pouch
the mother arranges them comfortably as possible
with the lips glued the breast In this position ney
remain for two months, drawing nourshment steadily
| and scarcely moving. When they leap out in a few
DAYS their long hind legs will be well formed and tho
babies will be spry grsssboppers. Last Sunday
one of children gathered around the cage spied
the heads of the young kangaroos
| @Oh. mammal mamma !" he cried. "Look at the
| rabbits in the big kang garoos pockets"
The discovery caused intense excitement among tue
| children uutl the keeper assured them that these
| were bg.by kangarOos and not rabbits, and that the
| big kangaroos were not going to eat them.
The menagerie will not have the litter of young
tigers that Mr.. Conkin expected to display proudly
this spring. All OF them died before they were day
OLD TIE mother has been sullen and fierce ever
since and will have nothing to do with Adonis the
father, who occupies adjoining cage: Alter the
young tigers died she sprang upon him so nerce tht
the Keepers had 70 separate them and it was ionnd
that she had stripped of Dig slice OF flesh from one
OF his legs The hons are not halt SO lllnaured ao
the tigress They bound about their cages sportivey
and eat their meals without quarreing The hereest
animals the collection the black In dian panthers
q Hold oa good distance from them,D said Keeper
Shannon. They are ugly beasts and the worst We
have ever had. I'd not want to tace them it they
were ont Of the cage. think one of them would
whip any animal we've got here It's my opinion the
bulldog and the tiger are mixed together in the
beasts. Hear them grOw now. They Will grab at the
keeper when he brings them their dinner"
The pet OF the mensgerie is VI IS Murphy, the hip
popOtainus She is growing rapidly in her new home;
Although only three years old, she weighs Loo
pounds Every morning before she gets hei bucket OF
bran and oats and fresh bale OF hay one OF the
keepers goes into her cage with some soft soap and
scrubbing and scrubs her all until her skin
covered with thick llther She enjoys this hu gely
grunting with satisfaction When the scr9bbing Is
over she dives into the tank. swims round once or
twice and is ready her breakfast Miss Mlrphy is
Just getting her second set OF teeth Ii was necessary
to pull OF the frat set Her gums trouble hef
and iii trying to relieve the unpleasant feeling by
biting on something she split piece from one OF her
new front teeth few days ago the granite coping
of the tank M Coukn then had the iron railing in
her tank covered with stout aud padded. Miss
Murphy appreciated this attention. Now when her
gums trouble her bites the padded rail human
|
/ tense satisfaction.
AT the further eud of the carnivora building is cage
much like that of the hippopoamus except that IL has
| no bath In this is Bohu the twohorned rhinoceros
purchased by the Park Commissioners in New Orleans
last winter lie is fifteen years old and has travelled
all over the civilized world crcuses and side shows.
Before he TO Central Park he had lived Tor
in cage that was not big enough for him to turn
round in. His ribs could be counted through his thick
hide. Boha IS good natured beast and W he Is per-
iectly al homo in his quarters. He is always
hungry and although his sides heshier than they
three months the fat does not appear to stick
to bis ribs. Ii is said by the keepers that he has
formed romantic attachment to young Miss Murphy,
whom he can just get a peep at through one OF his
small red eyes when she has eaten a meal ana
stretches her plump sleek sides at tul length on the
platform Of her cage Apparently he considers her
OF his species. Whsn Bohu Is in a sentimental
mood and has nothing TO eat he will stand tor hours
with his tusks thrust between the bars at the corner
of the cage watching with one eye tor Mics Murphy.
grumbe, something between the croak OF bulirog
and the grunt of q hog AT times he becomes frantic
when the hippopotamus pays no attention to him.
Once he became bosterous that the keepers feared
the cage would not hold him. He would rush against
the heavy bars more than an inch thick until they
bent under his weight The keepers sent hastily Tor
Mr. Conklin TO quiet him.
. What did y,u do to him !" Mr. Conklin was asked
6" gave him several powders" Mr.. Conklin replied,
" that queted him in q short time Bohus affection
tor Miss Murphy s nothing more than high state OF
nervous exharation. There Is nothing better to act
on the nerves than bromide. My preparation Was
mainly bromide OF sodium, which is very soothing in
its operation and harmless
" How much do you give Bohup
Several doses according 10 the intensity OF his
nervous excitement Twenty grains are good dose
for human adult, but give the rhinoceros several
ounces, about gasstul OF the powder in palul of
water at short intervals. Then a curtain il spread
over his cage, leaving him In the dark and removing
from his sight the vision OF Miss Murphy In short
time he becomes quiet and doele and returns to
and hay without thought OF any thing else"
Mr. Crowley is now n his fourth year. lie is as tall
as any boy of that age when he stands upright and as
strong gymnast. His good looks do not Improve
with his growth, but he is more intelligent aud mis-
chievous every month and Jake" his keeper Is
PEELED to watch him with great The old cage in
the monkey house has become too amall and weak
a structure for Crowley This year a cage twenty
square has been expressly for him the
centre OF the carnivora building IL will afford
room than Crowley has ever had to himself before,